Combination lock means for a container



Dec. 5, 1967 .1 A. SAUNDERS COMBINATION LOCK MEANS FOR A CONTAINER Filed Feb. 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 33 39 1 j 5Q I I 2 45 2 a l 3 45 O 4 5. l O

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JOSEPH A. SAUNDERS Bx/EM ATTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1967 J. A. SAUNDERS COMBINATION LOCK MEANS FOR A CONTAINER Filed Feb. 26, 1965 I z i I I I I I I z I INVENTOR. JOSEPH A. SAUNDERS ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w: Inna "I In; "A

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United States Patent 3,355,915 COMBINATION LOCK MEANS FOR A CONTAINER Joseph A. Saunders, 1660 18th Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94122 Filed Feb. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 435,625 5 Claims. (Cl. 7063) This invention relates to blood transfusions and more particularly to a method and apparatus for preventing clerical processing errors in blood transfusions.

In transfusing human blood from a blood storage facility to a recipient, a donor blood unit is selected from the blood storage facility which is compatible with the blood of the recipient. Usually, a typing and cross-matching procedure is employed to assure compatibility. In this procedure, a sample of the recipients blood is first typed according to the major groupings A, B, AB, and O and according to RH factor. In some cases it is also typed according to other minor groupings. A donor blood unit of the same type is then selected from the blood storage facility and cross-matched with the recipients blood. Typically, the cross-match is carried out by use of two agglutination tests, a major test in which red blood cells from the donor unit are combined with the recipients serum, and a minor test in which the receipients blood cells are combined with donor serum. A crossmatch is considered effected when agglutination occurs in neither the major nor the minor test. The above outlined procedure works well provided that the typed and crossmatchcd blood actually reaches the proper recipient. Special care must be taken to eliminate errors in the handling, marking, storage and routing of donor blood units. Although rare, such errors have occurred. The results are suffering to, and at times, even the death of the recipient.

Such errors in the processing of blood for transfusions occur in many ways but usually through human failure of one sort or another. Inaccurate labeling of blood samples and donor units, and indiscriminate mixing of test tubes in the typing and cross-matching procedures are examples of such errors.

Heretofore, attempts to solve this problem have involved the use of an assigned identification number applied to each and every item used in the process. This system has not always worked because the processing personnel fail to perceive lack of agreement among numbers on different apparatus.

In desperation, some hospital authorities have resorted to a second typing and cross-matching at the recipients bedside. Expense and loss of time are obvious disadvantages to this redundant procedure.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for preventing clerical processing errors in blood transfusions.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus of the above character which, in the event of any clerical or processing error, prevents transfusion of incompatible blood to the recipient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of the above character in which linked and apparatus of the above character in which assigned numbers and a code derived therefrom are used to posi tively prevent the transfusion of an incompatible donor blood unit unless the same code is independently derived again at the last stage before transfusion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus of the above character including a transfusion record which enables the mechanical derivation of the code and maintains a permanent record of the blood transfusion transaction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of the above character in which a novel combination lockable storage container for retaining blood donor units is provided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of the above character in which the combination lockable storage container is reusable.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the above character in which the reusable combination container is provided with combination lock setting means which is replaceable and yet economical.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which preferred embodiments are set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a typing crossmatch apparatus kit constructed according to my invention and showing a jacket member for housing a transfusion record.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded plan view of the jacket member and transfusion record member of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3--3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded isometric view of a combination lockable container constructed according to my invention and having a donor blood unit therein.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section view in elevation of a closed combination lockable container constructed according to my invention.

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the container shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of a combination hearing disk member which is useable in the container shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

In general, the method and apparatus of the invention incorporates an arithmetic system wherein numbers are assigned to various physical objects associated with several of the steps of the transfusion process. Among the physical objects may be the recipient himself, the equipment or kit employed in the typing and cross-matching, the donor unit of blood, and a transaction entry line of the blood bank register.

With respect to the recipient, the number is that patients hospital admission number. Alternatively, a separate and totally unrelated number may be arbitrarily assigned to the recipient. A second number is arbitrarily assigned to the typing and cross-matching kit. Third and fourth numbers include those assigned in the usual course of operation to the doner blood unit and to the transaction entry line of a register in the blood bank.

With an example as set forth above, the arithmetic system contemplates the arrangement of the various numbers in three separate sequences to be independently added. The first and second sequences of the four members are independently derived, added, and their sums compared for agreement. The sum is employed as the lock combination of a container, into which the selected and tested donor blood unit is then secured.

The third sequence of the same numbers is added at the recipients bedside immediately prior to transfusion. If the numbers in all these sequences are properly transcribed and if each addition is correct, the sum of the third sequence will be the same as the sum of the first and second. Thus, the lock combination is ascertained and the container may be opened. Should an error have been introduced during the process, or should any wrong materials have been utilized, the container will not open, thus avoiding a pending blood transfusion error.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a preferred cross-match kit 20 for use in carrying out my method. As shown, the kit 29 comprises a container 21 including a test tube rack 23 permanently associated with the container and which may be a part thereof. The rack 23 includes a number of openings 25 for receiving various test tubes 27 necessary for typing and cross-matching. There is also provided a pair of blood typing slides 28. Suflicient test tubes 27 and slides 28 are provided for typing and cross-matching as many doner units as desired. There are also provided the standard clot and oxalate test tubes 29 into which the recipients blood sample is to be injected. A purpose of the cross-match kit is to provide a disposable, individualized, and self contained unit for the collection, typing, and crossmatching of the patient-recipient blood sample and the storage of the elements used in such processes. The component parts of the cross-match kit are further related to each other by a common number which is prelabeled upon each element in order to eliminate the hazards attendant upon loss of any element or its confusion with corresponding elements of some other cross-match kit which is being used to type and cross-match another patients blood. The kit also serves to provide a unitized storage facility for the temporary storage of the test tubes and slides and their contents in the period between the typing and cross-matching of the blood and the determination that the transfusion has not caused any reactions.

A single identifying number, e.g., 12345, as shown in the drawing, is assigned to and labeled upon or otherwise affixed to each element of the kit 20. A member carrying the identifying number (e.g. 12345) of the kit 20 serves to link the patient with the kit. Conveniently, such a member is a Wrist band 31 for the patient.

A transfusion record is preferably provided in the kit 20 and may be constructed either as shown in FIGURES 23, as will hereinafter be described together with a more specific discussion as to its use.

The cross-match kit 20 also includes an expendable disc element 32 adapted for use in a combination lockable container as the combination determining member thereof. The disc element 32 includes portions capable of being deformed or otherwise altered to express the combination for the lockable container. A preferred structure for the disc element and a combination lockable container for use in carrying out my method will be described hereinafter.

More particularly, my method for the prevention of clerical processing error in blood transfusions can be described as a series of steps associated with routine hospital procedure, as follows:

The doctor orders the preparation of a certain number of donor blood units for transfusion to a given patient. This order is usually entered on the patients normal record chart at the nursing station in the hall. The nurse obtains the doctors order from the patients chart and communicates it to the hospital laboratory or the blood bank, giving the patients name, doctor, etc., but not the patients admission number. The nurse obtains from the laboratory a blood bank register line number which corresponds to the entry of the transaction in the blood bank register. A separate line number is obtained for each unit of blood to be prepared. The nurse secures a cross-match kit with a transfusion record therein and enters the blood bank register line number or numbers into the transfusion record. From the patients record chart, his admission number is determined and this too is placed on the transfusion record. These numbers are placed at certain areas of the record as described hereinafter.

A laboratory technician picks up the previously selected cross-match kit 20 from the nurses station and proceeds to the patients bedside, identifying the patient by name. The prenumbered wrist band is removed from the kit and attached to one of the patients wrists. The technician then obtains the patients admission number from his wrist band and enters the number into the transfusion record. The technician also enters the cross-match kit wrist band number into the transfusion record. The technician then draws the blood sample from the patient and dispenses the blood sample into the test tubes 29 provided in the kit 20. Thereafter, the transfusion record and cross-match kit 20 are sent to the laboratory for typing and cross-match processing.

At the laboratory, the patients blood sample is typed according to the usual standards. After the typing is completed, the standard major and minor cross-match tests for agglutination are performed, as follows: As each sample of a doner unit is placed into a cross-match test tube 27, the tubes themselves are marked with the donor unit number. Upon completion of the cross-match, the patients blood type and the fact of compatibility are recorded on the transfusion record. The technician also transfers the cross-match kit number and the donor blood unit number as they appear on the cross-match test tubes to the transfusion record at a location to be described hereinafter. The donor unit number is also entered on the line in the blood bank register that bears the patients name. This line corresponds to that, the number of which was previously obtained by the nurse.

The line number from the blood bank register and the donor unit number from the donor unit are entered into the transfusion record.

It will be noted that each entry in the transfusion record is derived independently of the other entries even though each of the four assigned numbers has been entered twice, whereby two independent sequences of the same numbers may be formed. This redundancy is used to supply a check for the accuracy of each step. The two sequences are added and the totals of the sequences com pared for agreement. If there is agreement, the accuracy of the steps has been proved, indicating that no clerical processing error has occurred.

The total of the assigned numbers, as derived from the first and second sequences, is entered by the technician as a combination lock number. The disc element 32 is used for this purpose in a combination lockable container (FIGURES 4-7) to be described hereinafter. The blood donor unit is secured into the container and stored. When the doctor orders the transfusion to be administered, the container with the donor unit is selected by the patients name and transported to the patients bedside.

At bedside, at the time of transfusion, a third sequence of the same numbers is formed, added and the total used as the combination to the locked container. The patients admission number from one wrist band, the typing and cross-match apparatus number from the other wrist band, the blood bank registration number from the patients chart and the donor unit number from the donor unit as visible through the wall of the container, are added. If the correct patient, typing and cross-match apparatus, blood bank registration number and donor unit have been matched, the total will be the combination to the container. Thus, the container can be opened and the donor unit removed for transfusion to the patient.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 1-3, one form of the especially convenient transfusion record is shown in detail. The transfusion record includes a jacket member 33 hingedly mounted to the container 21 and which also may serve as a cover therefor. The jacket member 33 includes a front member 33a and a back member 3312 which are mounted in spaced apart relationship by spacers 34. The front member 33a defines a column of spaced apart windows 1550, b, c, thereon separated by bars 37 having a height which is the same as the windows 35. A transfu sion record form 39 is mounted for slidable movement between the members 33a and 33b and the spacers 34.

The transfusion record 39 is provided with a plurality of successive number receiving areas 41a, 41b, 41c, 41d which are used to record the assigned numbers previously discussed with respect to the method. Each of the areas 41a-d includes two information lines. The areas 41a-d are positioned in columns to pass behind the windows 35a, b, c, of the jacket member 33 as the record 39 is slid up through the jacket. In the assembled position of the elements shown in FIGURE 2, the bars 37 on the jacket 33 cover every other one of the number receiving areas 41ad, and in particular, areas 41b and 41d. In this way, for example, number information entered onto the information lines of area 41a, for example, is hidden from view when the record member 39 is advanced to bring area 41b behind windows 35ac. Thus, successive entries into the transfusion record cannot be made by reference to previous entries. The record form 39 may also be provided with areas 43 for entering a sum formed from the numbers previously entered into the record form.

If desired, instruction areas 45 may be provided on the transfusion record form 39 which are so spaced to correlate with the various number receiving areas 41a, b, c, and d, etc., which instruction areas are visible through window 47 provided in the jacket member 33. The spacing of the window 47 and the several instruction areas is such as to provide the user of the transfusion record with appropriate instructions as to the numbers which are to be entered into the number receiving areas 41 and from whence these numbers are to be found. Thus, for example, as shown in the drawing, a fifth instruction which may direct the user to add up the numbers appearing behind the Windows 350 and 35b and to enter the sum into the area 43 behind window 35a. Likewise, appropriate instructions may be written out in the remainder of the areas 45.

Suitable means is provided for moving the record member 39 stepwise through the jacket and may consist of a slot 48 in the front member 33a of the jacket and a plurality of spaced holes 49 arranged in the rec-ord member to pass by the slot 48 as the record moves through the jacket. The slot 48 has a height equal to the height of the indicia receiving areas 41a-d and the holes 49 are spaced a distance equal to the same height. Thus, a user of the kit can use a pencil point to advance the record member 39 upwards through the jacket to thereby bring successive areas 41a-d behind the windows 35ac.

As an example of a specific use of my transfusion recrd, the following numbers are assumed to have been assigned in the manner heretofore explained in connection with the method:

Blood bank register line number (BB) 504 Patients admission number (PA) 60598 Typing and cross-match apparatus number (TC) 12345 Donor unit number (DU) 166018 Referring to my method as hereinbefore discussed, the nurse obtains a cross-match kit 20 in response to the doctors order for the preparation of a given number of donor blood units. The kit 20 is opened revealing the transfusion record form 39 slidably mounted in the jacket member 33. The transfusion rec-ord form 39 is moved up until the first area 41a for receiving numbers appears behind the window 35a. The nurse then enters the BB numher (504) obtained from the laboratory for each donor unit ordered. If one unit only is ordered, the BB number need only be entered in the first of left hand column shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. If two units are ordered, the BB number for the second unit is entered in the second column. While I have shown a transfusion record unit that only provides for two columns and thus two donor units, it is obvious that additional columns of areas 41 and windows 35 may be provided to handle additional requested donor units. The nurse also enters the PA number (60598) from the patients chart into the area 41a behind window 35a. If more than one donor unit is ordered, this same PA number is placed in additional area 41a and corresponds to the additional number of donor units. Between each two entries made into the transfusion record form, it is required that the form be advanced stepwise to bring the next area 41 into registry behind the window 35a. In the present description, it will be assumed that this is accomplished by the operating personnel. The kit is closed and given to the lab technician when he arrives to take the recipient patients blood sample.

At the time of the taking of the blood sample, the technician enters the PA number (60598) from the patients wrist band 31 and the TC number (12345) from the kit wrist band which is placed on the patient by the technician, or from the test tubes 27, and enters these numbers respectively into the number receiving area 41b behind each window 35a. It will be noted that the bars 37 between the windows 35a and 35b prevent the technician from using or copying the numbers as previously entered by the nurse in the area 41a.

At the lab, after satisfactory cross-matching, the technician enters into the area 410 the TC number (12345) and the number of the donor blood unit (166018) as they appear on the cross-match test tubes 27.

As each cross-match donor unit is logged into the blood bank register, the technician also enters each donor unit number (166018) from the donor unit bottle and the BB number (504) from the blood bank register into an area 410?. It will be noted that each of the entries made into the transfusion record have been derived independently: The BB number from the telephone report and from the blood bank register, the PA number from the patients record chart and from the patients wrist band, the TC number from sample test tubes and from the cross-match test tubes and the DU number from the cross-match test tubes and the donor unit bottle.

According to the method, the numbers entered into the areas 41a and 410 are added and their total compared with the total derived from adding the numbers entered into areas 41b and 41d. These summations are especially facilitated by the construction of the jacket member 33 and the transfusion record form 39. The spacing of the windows 35 and the number receiving areas 41 is such as to align the entries made in the areas 41a and 410 as visible behind the windows 3512 and c when the area 43a is brought into registry behind the window 35a. Likewise the entries of areas 41b and d are aligned behind the windows 35b and 0 when the area 43b is brought fully up behind window 35a.

As indicated at area 43, the totals of the numbers in areas 41a and 41c is 239465. Likewise, the total of the numbers in areas 415 and 41d is 239465. The agreement of these totals is proof that the correct donor unit, patient, typing and cross-match apparatus, and blood bank register line have been associated throughout the typing and cross-match process.

After the completion of the typing and cross-matching process, the kit, including all of its elements and the various samples that have been typed and cross-matched, is placed into temporary storage under refrigeration. Should the recipient-patient react to the transfused blood, the kit will then be available to be withdrawn from such storage and each of the elements can then be re-examined to determine whether the typing and cross-matching procedures were properly carried out. Also, since each of the elements bears the typing and cross-match kit number as Well as the kit, such numbers are available to be rechecked against the other records to assure that each of the elements within the kit belongs to the particular kit. Thus, it can again be determined that no clerical error has occurred.

After a determination that the transfused blood has not caused any reaction in the patient which warrants rechecking the typing and cross-matching process, the transfusion record member 39 is withdrawn from the kit and stored as a permanent record of the procedure. The remainder of the kit, including test tubes, slides, and container, is thrown away.

It will therefore be appreciated that the construction of my novel cross-match kit, including its various elements and their permanent association, considierably reduces the possibility of a transfusion resulting from data associated with the wrong cross-match kit especially when several such kits are processed during the same period.

Referring now to FIGURES 4-7, there is shown a combination lockable container 50 for use with my method. The container includes a base 51 which may be constructed with a flat circular disc bottom 53 and a cylindrical wall 55 secured at the outer periphery of the bottom 53. The base 51 is also provided with cylindrical walls 57 and 59 nested within the wall 55 in such a manner that wall 57 extends beyond wall 55, and wall 59 extends beyond wall 57. The walls are secured in fixed position relative to each other by suitable means such as glue.

A first cover 61 is provided and is constructed with a circular top 63 and a cylindrical wall 65 equal in diameter to the wall 57 of the base 51. The cover 61 may be axially secured to the container base 51 and locked against excessive rotation with respect thereto by a pair of rotatably interlocking elements such as a slot 67 in the innermost cylindrical wall 59 of the base 51 and a pin 68 radially mounted in the wall 65 of the cover 61. The top 63 is provided with a mounting base 69 for mounting a combination bearing disc as hereinafter described.

There is provided a second cover 71 adapted for placement over the first cover 61. The second cover 71 includes a rib 77 which cooperates with slots 79a and 79b in the first cover 61 and base 51 respectively. The rib and slots serve as means to interlock the base and first cover against rotation whereby the pin 68 cannot be backed out of the slot 67. The second cover 71 is formed with a cylindrical side wall 73 and a top portion 75. The wall 73 is constructed to have an inside diameter only slightly larger than the outside diameter of the walls 65 and 57 so that the cover 71 may be telescoped over the first cover 61 and wall 57. The base and cover are constructed of any suitable material which will prevent the user from reading information of which may be located on contents within the container and useful to obtain the combination thereto. Since it is desired to mount the patients name on the contents and also to provide that the donor unit number as well as the name can be read through the container, a viewing ring in the walls 55 is provided.

Combination lock means are provided and mounted for coaction between the first and second covers 61 and 71 to releasably lock said covers together. The combination lock means includes the disc 32 which is removably mounted to the base 69 on the first cover 61. The base 69 is provided with an upstanding key 81 adapted to innerfit with a slot 83 in the disc 32 to hold the disc in fixed angular relation to the cover 61. A threaded stud 85 is centrally mounted and upstanding from the base 69 to position the disc 32 and to accept a disc retaining nut 87 in the form of a circular disc.

The disc 32 is provided with a plurality of peripheral radial cuts 89 to form fingers 91. As shown especially in FIGURE 7, the arrangement of the fingers 91 is such as to form an annular ring, the number of fingers being equal to ten times the number of digits of the combination desired. Thus, the fingers may be arranged in groups of ten corresponding to the ten possible numbers for each digit of the combination. The fingers 91 may be broken out as illustrated in the drawing to create the lock combination. A line of weakness 93 may be provided to facilitate breaking out individual ones of the fingers 91 and may extend to connect between the inner ends of the cuts 89. The disc retaining nut 87 and the base 69 are constructed with a radius somewhat greater than that defined by the line of weakness 93. This arrangement prevents the fingers 91 from being broken out by forces exerted during operation of the container.

A plurality of arms 94 are mounted centrally on the top 75 of the second cover 71. A like plurality of annular slots 95 are formed near the periphery of the top 75. The arms 94 are constructed to pass through the slots and thence inwardly to a position below the edge of the disc 32. The top includes an imprinted scale corresponding to a similar scal on the disc 32. The rib 77 and slots 79a and b, and key 81 and slot 83 are arranged to maintain the scale in the top 75 in alignment over the scale on the disc 32. Thus, if the arms 94 are positioned in the same combination as was used to break out selected fingers 91, the second cover can be placed fully down over the first cover 61 and the wall 57. The arms 94 may then be moved to arbitrary positions and the container is thereby locked. Removal of the second cover 7 1 without the combination will not be possible since the inwardly bent portionof the arms 94 will make contact with the unbroken fingers 91 to prevent such opening.

The lockable container is very simple to use. A donor blood unit 97 is placed in the base member 51 and the first cover 61 is fitted over the base and rotated to set the pin 68 into home position within the slot 67. At this position, the slots 79a and 79b are arranged to become aligned. The selected combination is entered into the disc 32 by removing selected fingers 91. The disc is then placed on the mounting base 69 with the slot 83 in registry with the key 81, after which the disc retaining nut 87 is threaded down.

The combination may then be set in the second cover 71 by moving the arms 94 to positions corresponding to the desired number. The second cover is then telescoped over the first, the rib 77 running through the slots 79a and 7917. When the end of the wall 73 of the second cover 71 is seated upon a shoulder 99 of the wall 57, the arms 94 will lie below the disc 32 having passed through the openings left by the broken out fingers. The arms are then moved to arbitrary positions which will lock the container. The container may be opened in reverse sequence by resetting the combination with the arms 94.

Thus, I have shown and described a complete system including a method and apparatus for eliminating clerical error in the sampling, typing, cross-matching and transfusion of blood. However, other suitable apparatus that may be substituted for that previously described may also be useful in practicing and carrying out my method.

I claim:

1. A lockable container including a base and cover means, means associated with the base and cover means for releasably securing them together, said last named means including combination lock means comprising a disc removably mounted between said base and cover means, said disc having a plurality of cuts extending inwardly from at least one free edge thereof to form a plurality of fingers along the periphery of the disc at said edge, predetermined ones of said fingers being broken out to leave blanks, and means mounted to one of said base and cover means for selective alignment and engagement with various portions of the periphery of said disc means so that release of the cover means from the base can only be effected when said last named means is aligned with said blanks.

2. A lockable container as in claim 1 in which said fingers are arranged in groups of ten so that the position of each finger within a group can be made to correspond to a predetermined numerical value representing a given digit of the combination.

3. A lockable container comprising a base, a first cover, means releasably securing said first cover to said base, a second cover adapted for placement over said first cover, combination lock means releasably mounted for coaction between said first cover and second cover to connect said second cover to said first cover and means associated with said first and second covers and said base for preventing relative movement of said first cover with respect to the base when the second cover is over said first cover, said combination lock means including a disc removably mounted to the first cover, said disc having a plurality of radial cuts extending inwardly from the free edge thereof to form a plurality of fingers about the periphery of the disc, and means mounted to the second cover for selective alignment and engagement with various portions of the periphery of said disc.

4. A lockable container comprising a base, a first cover adapted to cooperate with said base to form a container, catch means for releasably securing said cover to said base, a second cover adapted to be assembled with said container, said second cover including means for preventing release of said catch means, said catch means and said last named means cooperating to form an interlock so that removal of said first cover and access to the base is prevented when said first cover and base are assembled together, locking means for releasably connecting said second cover to the container formed by said base and first cover.

5. A lockable container comprising a base, a first cover, means for releasably securing said first cover to said base to form a container, a second cover constructed for placement over said first cover, said base and first and second covers including interlock means so that removal of said first cover in access to the base is prevented when said second cover is in place, interlocking means for connecting said second cover and said container to prevent removal of said second cover, said interlocking means including portions of each of said first cover and base forming one part of a slot and slot engaging means when the base and said first cover are releasably secured, and said second cover forming the other part of said slot and slot engaging means such that When said second cover is placed fully over the first cover the slot and slot engaging means engage each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 561,793 6/1896 Keith 282-24 715,595 12/1902 Neurnann 282-24 754,010 3/1904 Prichard 283-1 761,212 5/ 1904 Dunne 283-1 997,088 7/1911 Prager -168 1,644,830 10/1927 Henderson 206-12 1,650,980 11/ 1927 Campbell 206-12 1,781,047 11/1930 Bondeson 281-44 X 1,897,185 2/1933 Brunning 70-164 2,115,253 4/ 1938 Christofi'ersen 70-162 2,254,773 9/ 1941 Butler 281-44 2,585,418 2/1952 Winston 282-24 2,677,555 5/1954 McMillan et al 282-24 2,867,342 1/ 1959 Baars et al 215-9 3,115,762 12/1963 Nemsky 70-63 3,204,436 9/1965 Nemsky 70-63 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. A LOCKABLE CONTAINER INCLUDING A BASE AND COVER MEANS, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BASE AND COVER MEANS FOR RELEASABLY SECURING THEM TOGETHER, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING COMBINATION LOCK MEANS COMPRISING A DISC REMOVABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID BASE AND COVER MEANS, SAID DISC HAVING A PLURALITY OF CUTS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM AT LEAST ONE FREE EDGES THEREOF TO FROM A PLURALITY OF FINGERS ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF THE DISC AT SAID EDGE, PREDETERMINED ONES OF SAID FINGERS BEING BROKEN OUT TO LEAVE BLANKS, AND MEANS MOUNTED TO ONE OF SAID BASE AND COVER MEANS FOR SELECTIVE ALIGNMENT AND ENGAGEMENT WITH VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DISC MEANS SO THAT RELEASE OF THE COVER MEANS FROM THE BASE CAN ONLY BE EFFECTED WHEN SAID LAST NAMED MEANS IS ALIGNED WITH SAID BLANKS. 